MARTON NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 44, 22 February 1940, Page 2

MARTON NEWS

ST. .JOHN AMBULANCE BABY CONTEST There was a good audience at the Civic Theatre on Monday evening, when the first screening of the babies entered in the Marton contest o£ St. John Ambulance took place. Seventysix babies were shown on the screen and were received with applause by the audience. The first count took place on Tuesday morning, with the following results for the first ten places:— First. —Babies Nos. 2 and 44, with 35 votes. Second.—No. 10, with 30 votes. Third.—No. 12, with 29 votes. Fourth.—No. 11, with 25 votes. Fifth.—No. 33, with 23 votes. Sixth.—No. 55, with 17 votes. Seventh. —No. 6, with 14 votes. Eighth.—Nos. 15 and 31, with 13 votes. Ninth.—Nos. 67 and 52, with 12 votes. Tenth.—Nos. 17, 19, 56, 57, and 76. with 11 votes. RATA-PUTORINO W.D.F.U. DAHLIA AND ASTER SHOW The annual dahlia and aster show under the auspices of the Rata-Puto-rino branch of the W.D.F.U., will be held in the Rata Coronation Hall, on Wednesday, March 13. Schedules can be obtained on application to Mrs. K. A. Raine, hon. secretary, Marton. MAGISTRATE’S COURT Mr. R. M. Watson, S.M., presided at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court, at Marton, on Wednesday. Noxious Weeds The inspector of noxious weeds, Rangitikei County Council, charged Arthur Dewson, Wangaehu, with allowing blackberry and sweet briar to (grow on his property. Defendant was i fined £2 10s, and costs fl 12s 6d. Breaches of Traffic Regulations The police (Sergeant Brenchley) proceeded against Walter John Voyce for failure to carry a warrant of fitness in his car. Defendant pleaded guilty, and was fined £1 and costs 10s. The traffic inspector proceeded against Richard G. Welch and Malvern K. Ross, on similar charges, and were each fined £1 and costs 10s. I Eric H. Bulmer, for carrying on a ■ goods service not in conformity with the goods licence held by him, pleaded guilty, and was fined 30s and costs 10s. For driving a motor-car on the main highway without a motor driver’s licence, lan R. Williams was fined 30s and costs 12s. Defendant was also charged with operating a motor-car on the main highway at night-time without being properly equipped with a tail light, and was. fined £1 and costs 10s. Civil Cases Judgment was given for plaintiff in the following undefended cases: — Hallenstein Bros. v. S. O’Donnell, claim £1 8s sd, costs 12s: Rex Cone, Dispenser Co., v. E. M. Ferguson, claim £5 2s, costs 30s 6d; C. A. Kope Ltd. v. S. J. Hart, £7 15s, costs £1 13s 6d; T. G. Stockwell v. Mervyn Hart, claim £4, costs 25s 6d. Breaches of Factories Act The Inspector of Factories (Mr. H. H. Satward) proceeded against Menzies T. Archibald, tobacconist and hairdresser, Marton, for failing to record the hours during which an assistant had actually been employed on each day. There was also a second charge for employing two shop assistants, Misses Eleanor Mae Taaffe and Jean Murray after the hour of noon on the day observed as the statutory half-holiday between July 20 and September 5, 1939. Mr. K. A. Williams appeared on behalf of defendant. Defendant pleaded guilty to the charge of failing to record the hours worked by his employees. A. H. Smithers, inspector of factories at Wanganui, stated that he visited the defendant’s shop on September 5, and found, according to the wage book, that Miss Taaffe had worked 74 hours on four days, 10 hours on Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday. Miss Murray had worked from 9 to 5.30 p.m. on Monday to Tuesday (inclusive), 9 to 8.30 on Friday, and 8.30 to 12.30 on Saturday during that week. To Mr. Williams: Witness stated that the appointment hook showed an appointment for the previous Saturday at 12 noon. Mr. Williams produced the appointment book which showed there was no appointment made as stated by witness. Jean Murray, formerly employed by Mr. Archibald as manageress, stated that she arranged the appointments. She was not always able to finish at 12 noon on Saturdays. At times there were only two assistants on Saturday mornings. She worked till 1 o’clock on September 2. She had to be in attendance till the head dried. It took 3 to 44 hours for a perI manent wave. Mr. Archibald had made it clear that overtime would not be paid. To Mr. Williams: In making the appointments they were made in order to be finished by noon. She knew the prices that were charged. Witness explained the difference between wet and dried sets. There was no appointment made for 12 o'clock on September 2. To the Inspector: If a customer did not arrive according to her appointment the time would not be altered in the book. Eleanor Mae Taaffe, a former employee of Mr. Archibald, gave evidence on similar lines to the previous witness. She frequently worked after 12 (o’clock on the half-holiday. She had (no claim against Mr. Archibald for I overtime when she left him. I Mr. Williams submitted that there was no definite statement made by the witnesses that they had worked any overtime. The inspector stated that Miss Murray's evidence had not been refuted that she had worked till nearly 1 o’clock on September 2. Menzies T. Archibald stated that

the appointments in the book were made by Miss Murray. No appointment had been made for 12 o'clock on September 2, and he never interfered with her work on working hours, as she understood them. Pat Jewett, employed by Mr. Archibald as third assistant, also gave evidence. The magistrate stated that the time and wages book did not tally with the I hours worked as given in evidence by i Mr. Smithers. I Defendant, recalled, admitted that 'there was an irregularity in the times ias they appeared in the book, which he had explained. It would be impossible to complete a permanent wave in three hours with the staff that he ' ad at that time. The magistrate inflicted a fine of £2 and costs £l. on the charge of failing to record the hours actually worked by his employees and dismissed the ’second charge. MARTON CIVIC THEATRE ‘•BLONDIE TAKES A VACATION” “Blondie Takes a Vacation,” third of Columbia’s delightful comedies based on the popular Chic Young comic strip, opens to-night at the Civic Theatre with Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake and little Larry Simms heading the cast. Following the • funny paper family to a summer re- • sort, with Blondie and Dagwood neckl deep in hilarious vacation woes, the • story is enacted by a supporting cast • that includes Donald Meek, Harlan '• Briggs, Donald Macßride, Thomas I Ross, Elizabeth Dunne, and Daisy, the ' dog. “Son of Frankenstein” Aimed to surpass all former entries in the field of blood-chilling shockers, Universal’s “Son of Frankenstein,” opening to-night at the Civic Theatre, , achieves that mark through the sheer force of its eerie drama. Vivid, living portrayals that make the spine tingle are created out of human and inhuman characters by a talented cast headed by Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, Josephine Hutchinson, Emma Dunn, ( Donnie Dunagan, Edgar Norton and I others.